Many open plan Kitchens are part of a great room, so they often overlook the family TV, but there are ways to incorporate a small screen within a kitchen in a more obvious way.

Trends in how TV’s fit into interior design are changing—and fast. We now integrate them in a broad spectrum of ways: Whether fit futuristically into the front of a cabinet door, or prominently mounted on the wall, screens have migrated into our living spaces, especially in rooms like the kitchen where technology and aesthetics go hand in hand.

Invest in your home…… With the start of another calendar year, why not make a resolution for your home? Investing in an upgrade for where you live will not only result in an increased resale value, but the final product will leave you f…eeling happier and more fulfilled for the long-term. If you make one upgrade on your house this year, let it be your kitchen. After all, it’s the most important—not to mention most popular—room in the home, and it offers the biggest bang for your remodel buck. Need more incentive? Here are a few reasons we think you should consider remodeling your kitchen this year.

Design Trends – Since the “Kitchen Design Triangle” theory a lot has changed in the world of kitchen design. New kitchen design ideas and innovations that better serve homeowners are popping up like apps in an iTunes store.

It’s Worth Your Money – According to the National Association of Realtors, a kitchen remodel has the biggest return on investment when it comes to selling your home—even more than a two-story addition!

A Lower Energy Bill—It comes with an upfront cost, but Earth-friendly products and appliances are the way of the future. Adding a skylight, for example, brings in ample sunshine, reducing the need for artificial light. Energy-efficient appliances and solar water heaters cut down the utility bill and place less stress on the environment.

Current Appliance Advancements – Appliance manufacturers are spending lots of money to discover technologies that make cooking easier and healthier. Miele and Sub-Zero &Wolf, for example, sell a steam oven that, in addition to veggies and fish, prepares entire meals like meats, poultry, cakes and breads—all simultaneously. The increasingly popular induction cooktop speeds up cooking and makes it safer for kids and pets too.

Financial Incentives- You’re likely to see financial incentives pop up again this year, including sales at home improvement centers, cash rebates for trading in outdated appliances, remodeling grants and low- or no-interest loans.

It’s Fun! Yes, you’re spending money (which isn’t fun), but it’s also a chance for you to express your unique personality and tastes. Kitchen design is more innovative, creative, and robust than ever, and you’ll truly enjoy exploring trends and materials to find the combo that speaks to you most.
The result? A room that is inherently “YOU,” with the added benefits of better function and form.

The kitchen work triangle connects the three primary work centers of a kitchen: the sink, the refrigerator and the range.

Today’s kitchens are much more than places to cook. They are often the social center of the home, the game room, the gathering room, the office, the entertaining room, the eating room and the homework room. As a result, kitchens have become larger with more emphasis on islands, counter tops and seating. Still, the kitchen work triangle is an important to consider. After all, a kitchen does need to be functional for cooking regardless of the other purposes it fills.

The guidelines for the work triangle distance between the three areas should be no less than four feet and no larger than nine feet. These measurements assure that the kitchen will be large enough to feel open and let traffic flow through while keeping the steps traveling between the areas to a minimum.

This is particularly important with today’s large kitchens. Using this work triangle will be sure to concentrate your cooking activities into one area of the room leaving other areas for dining, entertainment, homework etc.

As you establish the design of your new kitchen determine how the kitchen work triangle will work for you, you will want to take into consideration the prep area. The kitchen triangle does not include this important space, but you’ll clearly want a prep area near the sink for chopping and mixing.

Look at every function your kitchen will serve. Once you have established a “wish list”, you can place each of your desired features into the kitchen, including the perfect work triangle.

Planning ahead will help you be sure you have the features you want and a work triangle that contributes to your cooking success.

Few elements say “dream kitchen” in the way that a fireplace does. They represent the ultimate in comfort and coziness, and satisfy a primal longing to gather around a hearth. When most people think of kitchen fireplaces, however, they picture a mammoth brick surround with a cavernous firebox that could easily hold a cast iron kettle or a spit for roasting meat.

A fireplace can add value and visual interest to your home. New fireplace technology makes it easy and affordable to add a fireplace to any room in your home, including the kitchen. There are several types of fireplaces that can be used in the kitchen. Some provide ambiance alone, while others can be used as an additional cooking source.

These modern spaces redefine the kitchen fireplace archetype, with stripped-down structures that still radiate homey appeal. Which one inspires you most?

Black Friday is the name given to the day following Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, and offer promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season.

The merchants and the media have used the term “Black Friday” to reference the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (i.e., turning a profit).

Here are some Black Kitchens to inspire the brave Black Friday shopper’s.

HALOWEEN is associated with trick or treating, dressing up, apple-bobbing and parties, but for us, it’s the perfect excuse to round up our favorite Kitchens that are inspired by the colors of fright– orange and black.

These Kitchens don’t have a scary vibe to them, but they definitely are infused with sexy blacks and daring oranges.